lither

lither · adjective¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*(s)lew-“limp, slack”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*lūþrijaz“bad; dissolute; neglected; useless”
3. Old English · inherited fromlȳþre“bad, wicked; base, mean, wretched; corrupt”
4. Middle English · inherited fromlither
5. English todaylither

From Middle English lither, lyther (“deceitful; evil; false; treacherous; sinful, wicked; leading to cruelty, injustice, or wickedness, perverted; of a country: filled with wicked people; cruel, fierce; dangerous, deadly; frightening; grievous, painful; harmful, injurious; miserable, paltry, poor, worthless; feeble, sluggish; cowardly”) [and other forms], from Old English lȳþre (“bad, wicked; base, mean, wretched; corrupt”) [and other forms], from Proto-Germanic *lūþrijaz (“bad; dissolute; neglected; useless”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)lew- (“limp, slack”). Sense 1.2 (“flexible, supple; agile, lithe”) is influenced by lithe. Cognates Dutch lodder (“wanton person”), loddering (“drowsy; trifling; wanton”) German liederlich (“dissolute”), German lotterig (“slovenly”), lüderlich (“slovenly”) Old English loþrung (“delusion, rubbish, nonsense”), loddere (“beggar”)

lither · adjective²

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Words from the same roots